PQAI
PQAI is an AI-powered patent search platform for finding prior art related to an invention.
What PQAI is
PQAI is an AI-powered patent search platform for finding prior art related to an invention. Searchers can describe an idea in natural language without special formatting or technical expertise. Its tools include CPC Classification Prediction, Technical Concept Extraction, and Patent Data Retrieval. The free plan searches more than 100 million patents and returns up to 20 results per query at standard speed. PQAI+ increases the limit to 500 results per query and adds faster search, full-text excerpts, and export.
The web service is also available through an API. API plans include MCP server access and compatibility with Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Commercial use inside another product requires a commercial API or Enterprise plan. PQAI offers an iFrame embed with instructions for WordPress, Wix, and custom-built websites, and describes the platform as open source. It says queries are erased from its servers after results are generated. API requests use token-based authentication and HTTPS, with rate limiting and access controls.
Good
- Accepts invention descriptions in natural language.
- Free plan searches more than 100 million patents.
- Includes classification, concept extraction, and patent retrieval tools.
- API plans include MCP access and named AI compatibility.
- Queries are erased after results are generated.
Watch out
- Free plan returns up to 20 results per query.
- PQAI+ plans include 20 API requests per month.
- Commercial product integration requires a commercial API or Enterprise plan.
- No free trial is offered.
Who it suits
PQAI suits individual inventors, patent examiners, law firms, enterprises, and R&D teams looking for relevant prior art. Its API and embedding options also suit developers adding patent search to a product or website, though commercial integration requires a commercial API or Enterprise plan.
Verdict
PQAI pairs natural-language patent search with API and website-embedding options, and its free plan covers a large patent set. Check the query and API limits, and the commercial-use requirement, against your intended workflow.
Plans and prices
From PQAI's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 100M+ patents · up to 20 results/query · standard speed · CPC prediction · concept extraction · patent data retrieval · helpdesk/email support · forever (No credit card required) |
| API Starter | $20 a month | 50 API queries/month · US REST search · MCP server · Claude/ChatGPT/Gemini compatibility · token and documentation · $0.40 per query |
| Starter | $20 a month | 50 API queries/month · US patent REST API · MCP server access · works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini · /mon ($0.40 per query) |
| PQAI+ Monthly | $20 a month | up to 500 results/query · super-fast speed · full-text excerpts · export · 20 API requests/month · priority support · per month — cancel anytime |
| API Developer | $199 a month | 600 API queries/month · 600-query top-up for $199 · personal/experimental use · usage dashboard · audit logs · $0.33 per query |
| Developer | $199 a month | 600 API queries/month · top-up: $199 for 600 more queries · experimentation and personal use · usage dashboard and audit logs · /mon ($0.33 per query) |
| PQAI+ Annual | $216 a year | up to 500 results/query · super-fast speed · full-text excerpts · export · 20 API requests/month · billed once a year; Save 10% |
| Enterprise | $700 a month | 3,000 API queries/month · commercial-use license · platform and product integrations · priority support · custom volume on request · /mon ($0.23 per query) |
| API Enterprise | $700 a month | 3,000 API queries/month · commercial-use licence · platform/product integrations · priority support · custom volume · $0.23 per query |
| Private Server | Priced on request | on-premise or private-cloud deployment · full server code and setup documentation · hybrid indexing · internal-tool integration |
The facts
Each one read from PQAI's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API authentication
- API requests use unique token authentication and HTTPS transport.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API documentation
- The public API guide documents routes, path/query parameters, authentication and example responses.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API limit
- The PQAI+ plans include 20 API requests per month, and the page says responses stop until the next billing cycle after the limit is reached.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Audience
- PQAI identifies individual inventors, law firms, patent examiners, enterprises, and R&D teams as users.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Commercial API use
- Commercial integration into a user's own product or platform requires a commercial API or Enterprise plan.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Concept extraction
- The API and search product extract technical concepts from supplied text or patents.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Coverage expansion
- A December 17, 2024 update says coverage reached patents from 68 countries and more than 100 million research papers.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CPC prediction
- PQAI predicts Cooperative Patent Classification codes from technical text.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Export
- Search results can be exported for offline review, with the paid search plan allowing up to 500 results.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Funding fact
- The same IFIA report said AT&T funded the PQAI project with $2 million.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent availability claim
- Founders Legal describes its PQAI collaboration as offering unlimited free searches, confidential processing and downloadable reports.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent launch news
- IFIA reported on May 13, 2021 that PQAI was an open-source nonprofit initiative launched with IFIA involvement.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent result-limit complaint
- Founders Legal’s embedded PQAI tool explains that its interface intentionally presents only ten results and directs users needing broader coverage to professional services.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The API plans include MCP server access and state compatibility with Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Licence
- The public PQAI repository states that the project is open source under the MIT licence.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: interface polish
- A G2 reviewer says the interface can feel basic or in need of refinement compared with premium commercial tools.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Local deployment
- The repository points developers to wiki instructions for deploying PQAI locally for experimentation or development.checked 15 Oct 2026
- MCP integration
- The paid API plans include access to an MCP server that works with Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Natural-language search
- Users can describe an invention in ordinary language without special query formatting or patent-search expertise.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Non-patent literature
- The search platform includes scientific and other non-patent literature alongside patents.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Browser storage
- Saved or bookmarked results are stored in the user’s browser rather than uploaded to PQAI servers.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: cross-device saved results
- A G2 reviewer notes that browser-stored results are inconvenient when switching devices.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Company origin
- LinkedIn says AT&T initiated the PQAI project and that other groups and companies support it.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Company profile
- LinkedIn lists PQAI as a nonprofit software-development organization headquartered in the United States with 2–10 employees.checked 15 Oct 2026
